Bichon Frise For The Win! Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Crowns 11th "Best in Show" Champion In 12 Years Fueled By Purina Pro Plan

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 11^th time in 12 years, the "Best in Show" winning dog at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a Pro Plan-fed dog*. Last night, GCH Belle Creek's All I Care About Is Love, or Flynn, for short, a Bichon Frise handled by Bill McFadden, joined an elite group of canine competitors by taking home the exclusive title at the 142^nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Purina Pro Plan has a long, rich history in conformation and the sport of purebred dogs. The brand has fueled many of the world's elite dogs to victory through innovative products and outstanding nutrition. In addition to the "Best in Show" winner from the Non-Sporting Group, the remaining six Westminster Group winners, as well as 97 of the top 100 AKC All-Breed Show Champions, are Purina Pro Plan fed¹.

"Our outstanding nutrition has been fueling champions in the ring and the champion dogs in our own lives for more than 26 years," said Christi Maginn, brand director, Purina Pro Plan. "From James in 2007, to Flynn in 2018, we're proud to have been part of 11 champions' journeys to the Westminster winner's circle and congratulate Flynn and Bill on their well-earned success."

A leader in the performance nutrition category, Purina Pro Plan offers more than 70 formulas across five distinct nutritional platforms to meet the nutritional needs for dogs of all ages and activity levels.

"Though Flynn might not look like an athlete, we think of him as one and Purina Pro Plan has always been a champion of providing quality formulas for dogs which helps with the quality of his coat and muscles," said McFadden. "We do a lot of dog shows and nutrition plays an important aspect for him, so it's nice to have a dog food company that has the best interests for our dogs at heart."

The ten previous Westminster "Best in Show" winners fueled by Purina Pro Plan include:

• 2016 -- GCH Vjk-Myst Garbonita's California Journey ("CJ"), German Shorthaired Pointer 
• 2015 ? GCH Ch Tashtins Lookin For Trouble ("Miss P"), Beagle
• 2014 ? GCH Afterall Painting The Sky ("Sky"), Wire Fox Terrier
• 2013 ? GCH Banana Joe V Tani Kazari ("Banana Joe"), Affenpinscher
• 2012 ? GCH Palacegarden Malachy ("Malachy"), Pekingese
• 2011 ? GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind ("Hickory"), Scottish Deerhound
• 2010 ? GCH Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot ("Sadie"), Scottish Terrier
• 2009 ? GCH Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee ("Stump"), Sussex Spaniel
• 2008 ? GCH K-Run's Park Me In First ("Uno"), Beagle
• 2007 ? GCH Felicity's Diamond Jim ("James"), English Springer Spaniel

For more information, visit www.proplan.com.

About Purina Pro Plan:
Purina Pro Plan is the food of choice for 11 of the past 12 Westminster Best in Show winners*. Our goal is to give your dog the nutrition to be his absolute best, helping him to be energetic and resilient, and maintain an ideal body condition, healthy skin, and a stunning coat.  Because being the best he can be means something different for every dog, our wide range of dry and wet foods and snacks, sold exclusively at pet specialty stores and online, can be found in five specialized platforms formulated for a dog's unique needs. For more information, visit www.proplan.com or follow @ProPlan on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. The brand is manufactured by Nestlé Purina PetCare, which promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement, and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health, and wellness.  

About Westminster Kennel Club
The Westminster Kennel Club is America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster's influence has been felt for more than a century through its famous all-breed, benched dog show held every year at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Today, America's dog show has expanded into Westminster Week which includes the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster and the Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster at Piers 92 /94. More than 3,000 dogs from the US and abroad makes Westminster Week like no other. Westminster. There's only one. Visit us at:  www.westminsterkennelclub.org, @WKCDogs

*The handler or owners of these champions may have received Purina Pro Plan dog food as Purina ambassadors.

¹ AKC Top Dogs All Breed Competition through 12/31/2017

SOURCE Purina Pro Plan